The Road Less Traveled: A Brave AU Story
by GAM3R G1RL 13
Summary: Merida Darroch just wanted to get away from her old life. As far as she could! How was she to know she would end up in a cozy place named DunBroch, surrounded by a whole host of odd, but friendly sorts. Shae MacGuffin liked to keep to himself, but he was always willing to help out. A surprise befell him when his first encounter with the newest town resident started with an accident
1. Welcome to DunBroch

The Road Less Traveled

A Brave AU

Disclaimer: All characters are copy write to Pixar and/or Disney. The idea and some of the names are mine.

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Chapter 1: Welcome to DunBroch

The day had started out normal enough. Rising at dawn to feed the chickens and the few sheep and cattle he kept around the old farm. Having his normal breakfast of eggs, oatmeal and coffee. **Lots** of coffee. Then, on to the 'barn' to work on any of his projects for the day.

But that was the problem.

He didn't have any projects.

As a matter of fact, business had been dead for a few weeks…

"'Sigh', I just donnae know how I'm going to stay on top of all these expenses come winter…" he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"BARK!" answered the dog at his feet.

He turned and looked down at his scruffy, four-legged companion. He smiled and leaned down, scratching the tan and white mutt behind his ears. He readjusted the red bandana around his dog's neck.

"Donnae worry boy, I would never get rid of you."

"Bark!" came the happy reply.

"Come on, Dodge, let's get out here and get some air? What do you say?" he asked, opening the driver side door to the truck.

The dog eagerly jumped inside, taking his place in the passenger seat.

Laughing, the man got in and fired up his engine. The truck rumbled to life and the two took off down the road.

They went along, enjoying a nice afternoon drive in the beautiful Scottish countryside. It had turned into an abnormally warm summer day. The summers were usually a fairly even temperature, but today felt muggy and the man was happy for a working air conditioner. But his canine companion was happier with a rolled-down window.

"BARK! BARK!" And he let his master know!

The man glanced over,

"It's too warm for the windows down, Dodger. Sorry."

The canine whimpered and pouted, nudging at the man's elbow as he drove.

He laughed at the dog's persistence, but pushed him away with his arm.

"Okay, okay! I'll roll the windows down. Just donnae do that when I'm driving! I could wreck!"

He rolled the windows down and Dodger stuck his head out, tail wagging excitedly.

The two drove a little while longer before turning down the road to the old highway.

The road soon turned to gravel, and dirt and he slowed his speed.

Looking up ahead, he saw something along the side of the road. He slowed even more.

Dodger tilted his head, asking in his own way,

'Why are we slowing down?'

"It's okay, boy, I'm just being cautious." He patted the dogs' haunches.

'If not a little curious.' He thought with a grin.

The thing on the side of the road was a trailer. A horse trailer, by the looks of it; the truck pulling it, parked right in front. He wasn't too shocked to see another vehicle out on the old road. While not too many people traveled it, the farmers used it for hauling and some of the younger folks would come out here to race.

Thinking it was a farmer stopped ahead, he slowed to wave and say hello. So, imagine the surprise on his face when he drove passed and saw a very young, very attractive and very frustrated red-headed lass step away from the front of the truck, kicking the front grill as she did so.

It was then that he noticed the blue colored-smoke rising from the hood.

He grimaced.

That wasn't a good sign.

"I think our normal day just got a little more interesting." He said aloud.

Hearing Dodger make a whimpering noise, he turned and looked at his faithful canine,

"Looks like our drive just got cut short today, Dodge. You okay with a rescue mission instead?"

"Bark, Bark, Bark!" came the happy reply.

The man smiled and ruffled the dog's head.

"Good. I thought so too." The man answered back.

He turned the truck around and headed back towards the woman and her vehicle. He pulled off to the side of the road, facing the truck and trailer. He turned to Dodger.

"You wait here, boy. Let me see if I cannae do something to help the lass…"

Dodger whined, but obeyed his master's command, sitting in the front seat to watch.

The man got out of the truck and walked up slowly, unsure how he needed to approach this.

The young woman was seated against a thick wooden post, her knees up to her chest and her head bowed in resignation. As he came closer to her, he could hear the faint sound of curse words and various expletives being muttered in frustrated tones. He grinned a moment, before forcing it away. He didn't want her to think he was an insensitive jerk, after all.

"Um, excuse me, miss? Are you alright? Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked tentatively.

At the sound of his voice, the young woman gasped and looked up at him, her eyes wide. He was taken aback, momentarily, at the stunning aquamarine colored eyes that met his. He swallowed a lump in his throat. He wasn't normally a man taken aback by a woman's looks but there was something different…special and beautiful in her eyes.

Noticing the red in them, too, and the streaks on her cheeks caused his brow to furrow. He hated seeing people upset. Especially attractive young women.

When she didn't answer him, he tried asking again.

"Are you alright? I mean, are you hurt?" he asked, stepping a little closer.

He wanted to offer her a hand up, but wasn't sure how she would take the gesture. People were fickle when it came to men acting like gentlemen. And he didn't want her to be suspicious of him before he'd even had a chance to help.

This time the woman gave a short, terse,

"No."

Then, looking down, she winced.

"I'm sorry…that was rude." She said, tiredly, gazing back up at him.

"I didnnae mean to snap at you like that."

She then shook her head and wiped at her eyes. She stood and forced a laugh.

"I'm fine, thank you."

She walked over to the truck and gave the passenger-side wheel a swift kick!

"That's more than I can say about this hunk of junk!"

"I've given this damn truck the best 10 years of its life and she picks today of all days to do this to me!"

He couldn't hide the smirk on his face, but to his credit, he forced back a laugh.

"Well, if you donnae care, I could have a look under her hood. Maybe I can fix 'er up for you."

The young woman turned to look at him, her eye brow was raised in question.

"What are you? A guardian angel?"

He grinned and shrugged,

"Something like that."

The woman gestured to the hood, dramatically,

"Then, by all means, be my guest! If you can fix this junkpile of metal, I'll be eternally grateful."

He smiled wider, nodding as he walked up to the truck. He noticed the hood was popped but the prop wasn't in place.

"You popped the hood already?"

She nodded,

"As soon as I stopped and pulled over. The damn thing started smoking and I panicked. I popped the hood to let the smoke vent." She explained.

He set the hood prop up so he could look down into the heart of the machine. He turned to her with a small grin,

"You didn't open it with the prop, though."

She sighed, shaking her head.

"I know! I'm sorry. Look, I only know how to check and change my oil and put window fluid in the little container. A smoking engine is little bit passed my expertise…"

His grin widened as he looked down into the bowels of the beast.

"I'm impressed you know how to do that much, miss. Most young ladies usually arennae taught that much vehicular care."

She stepped closer to him and shrugged.

"In my family we try to make things last as long as they can. Regular upkeep is part of that job."

He laughed in agreement.

"Wish more people had that kind of sense."

He reached down and pulled a small flashlight out of a holster clipped to his belt. He flipped it on and began looking at all the parts of the engine block and cylinders, that he could see easily. He checked the obvious things first, making sure all the caps were securely tightened.

When he got to the head gasket he noticed a thin layer of oil dripping its way down the sides of the cylinder and engine. He sighed and stood up.

"That doesnnae sound good…" the young woman worried at her bottom lip.

He pulled out his grease rag from his pocket and wiped his hands.

"Well, I wonnae know anything for sure until I can get 'er back to my shop and run a full diagnostic, but," he paused and offered another sigh,

"…it looks like it could be a blown head gasket or even some cracking in the engine block."

The young woman groaned, wincing and kicking at the ground in frustration.

"Well, that's just grand now, isnnae it?"

She muttered and rambled on, pacing angrily back and forth in front of him.

"Not only does the damn thing decide to quit on me today, but there's no way I can afford to fix it, anytime soon. And, now I've lost my one chance at possibly making a better start for myself in this God-forsaken town…"

His brows furrowed as he listened to her angry rant. Wanting to calm the red-headed volcano, he reached out and cautiously placed a hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

"Uh, miss, I donnae mean to pry, but I donnae know what you mean? You've lost your one chance for something? Were you headed somewhere important?"

Trying to calm herself, the woman took a deep breath and tucked some of her loose hair behind her ears. She let out a deep sigh. Then she let out a laugh at the dismal situation.

"Sorry that was a bit over dramatic, of me."

She took another deep breath to calm her nerves,

"To answer your question, I was more or less on my way to a job interview…well, a secondary interview I guess."

"An interview that you need a horse for?" he grinned.

She blushed but explained,

"Well, you may have noticed, but I'm not from around here. Being new in the area and needing money for bills and such, I looked into some of the open positions at the Academy. They had one available for an archery instructor and when I showed them all my awards and credentials, the job was mine."

"Archery's more of an elective for the students." The man stated.

She nodded,

"It is."

He pursed his lips.

"Not a lot of money to be made if you're only a part time instructor…"

The woman shrugged,

"I know. I need something else that'll help me pay the bills…that's where this little jaunt in the countryside comes in."

She paused and sighed. She pointed back to the horse trailer.

"There's also opening for a new equestrian instructor at the Academy and I wanted to put my name in the running for that position too. I talked to the headmaster on Thursday, after my other interview and he said that he and some of the other board members would be at a competition near Kintore, showing their own horses and some of them judging."

She paused and rubbed her eyes,

"He told me I was welcome to come and show them my skills there, but if I failed to show that they'd go with a more 'seasoned' instructor. Angus and I were on our way up, so I could show them what we could do..."

She huffed and leaned against the side of the truck, bowing her head.

"The worst part of all of this, is that I know I'm the best candidate for the job! And now, I wonnae even get a chance to prove it thanks to this hunk of scrap metal…"

She turned and punched the side of the truck, hard.

He could see tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes again, as she turned her face away. He felt awful! Sure, it wasn't his fault her truck broke down, but he still sympathized with her.

She covered her face into her palm, trying to fight back the emotion.

As he watched her start to break down, he rubbed at the back of his neck. It was a nervous habit that he would do when he was anxious. He'd done it since he was a child. Not wanting to see her upset, he decided to do something to help. He stepped beside her and tapped her shoulder lightly,

"You know, miss, I could haul you and your mount up to Kintore."

She looked up at him, shocked.

"You would do that for a stranger? Why?"

"If you're living in town, we're practically neighbors already. And we take care of our own around here." He offered her a smile.

"Come on, you unhook the trailer hitch while I move your cab out of the way. I'll haul you both up to Kintore and come back and get the old girl and bring her to my shop. See what the damage really is."

He started to walk back to his truck and get the rig ready for a tow. She followed him over and stared at him in awe.

"But you donnae have to do that. Why would you?"

He laughed.

"I told you, we take care of our own out here."

"BARK BARK!" echoed the excited reply of Dodger.

He looked up with a grin,

"See, Dodger knows."

The young woman didn't know what to say…she pursed her lips, tears threatening to fall again.

When he stood back up from setting the towing cable in place, he was surprised by two arms being thrown around his wide shoulders.

"WHOAF!" he voiced his surprise at the contact.

"Thank you so much! You donnae know what this means to me!" She thanked him, giving a tight squeeze with her arms.

Her bear hug had him pressing hard against her chest and he felt the heat rise in his cheeks. Quickly, she let go and rushed back to her own truck to unhitch the trailer.

He watched her go, shaking his head at his own odd behavior.

Moving her broke down truck out of the way and hitching up the horse trailer to his cab hadn't taken long at all. About 30 minutes later, the two…well, four if you counted Dodger and Angus, were ready to head out.

The woman climbed into the passenger seat and was greeted by a happy bark and sloppy wet kiss from the four-legged shotgun. She laughed, but the man swatted the dog's haunch warningly,

"Dodge, no! Bad Dog! You donnae just lick new people! You have to let them get to know you first."

He looked at the young woman apologetically,

"Sorry about that, he's not usually so affectionate with new people. I can make him ride in the bed…"

She turned and looked at him with a mock appalled expression. She then giggled and scratched the dogs' ears,

"Oh, donnae you dare. He's fine just where he is! Besides, I grew up on a large farm. I love all animals."

This woman was just getting better and better the more he was around her.

He laughed and patted his dog's back,

"Looks like you have a new friend, Dodge."

"Bark, bark, bark!" Dodger happily wagged his tail.

They started up down the road, driving in a comfortable silence. After a few miles, he heard the woman laughing quietly to herself. Curious, he glanced over at her.

"Something funny, miss?"

She chuckled lightly and nodded.

"You could say that…"

She propped her elbow up on the window panel, and placing her head in her hand, turned to him with a lopsided grin.

"It occurs to me, we donnae even know each other's names. You could be a deranged psychopath out looking for helpless victims to murder, for all I know."

He laughed and nodded,

"I suppose I could be." He paused and glanced at her with a smile,

"But the same could be true about you…"

She conceded with a laugh,

"True, true. I see your point."

They didn't say anything more and neither offered or asked the others name as they continued the drive. It wasn't long before they were pulling into the competitor's parking field, just outside of Kintore.

He turned off the engine and got out.

"Need to get this trailer off and get back before one of the constables decide to ticket your rig."

They worked in getting the trailer unhitched and her tack out of the back of his truck.

As he was about to climb back into his cab, she called to him,

"Hey! I just realized…I donnae know how I'm going to get back home…I cannae ride Angus and leave my trailer here."

He laughed.

"I'll be back as soon as I get your truck in my barn."

She raised a brow,

"Barn?"

He shook his head and sighed,

"Oh, aye! I forgot to tell you, my shop is at my farm. It's an old barn I converted so I could use it to do my work in. But donnae worry, it's a lot more sophisticated than you're probably thinking." He said with a wink.

She smiled,

"I'm sure it is."

She started to turn and walk away but stopped and faced him. She reached up and touched his cheek softly.

"Listen, thank you for everything! You really are a guardian angel."

He beamed and blushed, rubbing the back of his head,

"I didnnae do anything special, miss…"

"Merida. Merida Darroch1."

He looked up at her, dumbstruck. Even her name was beautiful!

"Merida…" he repeated the name slowly, letting it roll off his tongue.

He liked the sound of her name. And judging by the blush on her cheeks, she enjoyed hearing him say it.

Realizing he was staring too long, he coughed into his fist and looked down.

"Well…Miss Merida…I better get going so I can be back in time." He pointed to the black and white Shire pawing at the ground eagerly,

"And you need to get Angus ready for the show. He's a beautiful stallion. And you're stunning. I mean, you're going to be stunning out there. I mean…" he paused and shook his head,

"you're both going to do wonderful, I'm sure." He stumbled over his words.

Merida tried to hide her smile behind her hand, but failed.

Shaking his head at his awkwardness, he turned to leave. But she called to him,

"Hey, wait! Donnae I get a name to put with my guardian angel and his faithful companion?"

He gave her a roguish grin,

"You already know Dodger's name." he teased.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"I meant you, you big numpty [idiot]!"

He laughed and stuck out his hand for her to take. She took his hand in hers, firmly.

"I'm Shae." he said with a grin.

She raised a brow,

"Shae? Shae what?"

He shook his head with a smile,

"Just Shae."

She pursed her lips, still eyeing him with mock suspicion. Then she laughed,

"Okay then…just Shae…thank you for all your help today." she said, shaking the hand she was holding.

He smiled,

"Well, you havennae gotten rid of me yet, lass. I'm still coming back so I can take you home."

She raised a teasing brow at him,

"I didnnae know the men around this part were so fast and blunt…" she teased.

Shae blushed and backpedaled, trying to explain,

"Wait! I didnnae mean…"

Merida laughed.

"I know what you meant Shae…I was only teasing you."

She bit at her lip and smiled softly,

"Shae…I like it…"

He gave a quiet chuckle.

"I'm quite partial to it myself."

Shae cleared his throat and let go of her hand reluctantly.

"Well, Welcome to DunBroch*, Miss Darroch. I truly hope you enjoy living here."

Before he turned to leave she winked at him,

"You know, I think I could learn to like it here. There are already some thing's worth staying for…"

And they both smiled.

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Yay! Chapter 1 is done and chapter 2 is on the way (hopefully by New Year's)! 😊

I'm excited to bring you all a new Brave AU. It's going to be kind of cheesy and such but after all the crap I've put the character's through in "The Ties That Bind", I wanted to go cheesy LOL!

I wanted to do this chapter without revealing names right away, but it's supposed to be the same character personalities from Brave and "Ties", so I also kept/will be keeping the same names. Sorry, but Young MacGuffin will always be Shae MacGuffin to me now…even if Disney/Pixar give him a different name LOL!

You may have noticed that Shae has a pet dog named Dodger…yes that's supposed to be the Artful Dodger from Oliver Twist/Oliver and Company 😊

I have in mind to do a lot of Disney character cameo's in this. As a matter of fact, this is going to have quite a cacophony of various characters from Disney movies and shows in it, but I'm not calling this a crossover, as the main focus is still on the characters from Brave.

I'm going to try to keep this as realistic as possible, as it is set in modern Scotland. They may make references to folklore, fantasy and magic elements, but it's more in a historical context. Also, I am aware that some people in Scotland (all over the world, actually) still worship in the Celtic religions of their ancestors, so I will try to be culturally aware of that as I work on aspects of the story.

Okay comments on the chapter from me:

Merida's last name is Darroch in this story. Darroch is a Scottish surname that derives from the Gaelic word for 'oak'. I was trying to find a Scottish last name that meant 'bear' and the most common one I saw that was close would have been MacArthur which mean's 'son of Arthur' and the name Arthur mean's 'bear/ bear-like'. I really didn't want to call her, Merida MacArthur so I picked a name that kind of fit with DunBroch from Brave since her official title is: Merida, First Borne descendant of Clan DunBroch, in the movie…

Also, it ties back to…well, "Ties" because of Shae's analysis of the Fae pendant she wears and her being like a tree in the scenes in that story. So, I thought it was a nice Easter egg 😊

Also, there is a reason for Shae not giving her his last name yet, but it pertains to later on in the story. It will make more sense in upcoming chapters, so just wait and see 😊

I wanted to leave you all with this one last bit: I already posted this teaser on tumblr and on deviantart but I wanted to include it at the end of this for the readers on fanfiction and Ao3 (which I now have an account at LOL)

 **The Road Less Traveled: A Brave AU**

 **Merida Darroch just wanted to get away from her old life. As far as she could! How was she to know she would end up in a cozy little place named DunBroch, surrounded by a whole host of odd, but friendly sorts. After her initial trial and errors as a first-time instructor, Merida finds that she is learning more about herself through her students and new friends than she ever did back home on her family's estate.**

 **With early complications and through a comedy of errors, she befriends the town's most notorious bachelor, Shae MacGuffin. His notoriety isn't due to philandering or that sort, but because he is the soft spoken, tender-hearted mechanic that the town relies on for all their tune-ups and breakdowns.**

 **But he's hiding his own skeletons, too.**

 **Everyone in DunBroch knows his secret, though. Everyone. Except for the newest addition to the Academy staff. What is a young woman to do when the one person she feels the closest to, in this new place, is the one that everyone is warning her about? He seems harmless enough. Everyone seems to like him…Hell, they can only say good things about him! Besides…they're only friends…right?**

 **Join Merida, Shae, the cast of Brave and a whole host of other Disney guest stars as they weave through the daily grind of life in the little Scottish town. Where fife is about ups and downs, making choices and living with consequences of wrong ones. Making new friends, leaving old ones behind, and who knows…possibly finding love along the way.**

I hope you enjoy this little hook I wrote, and I hope you'll stick around for the upcoming chapter! 😊

Peace and Blessings Upon You!

1 Darroch: Scottish Last name meaning _"oak"_


	2. First Meetings, Second Greetings

The Road Less Traveled

A Brave AU

Disclaimer: All characters are copy write to Pixar and/or Disney. The idea and some of the names are mine.

A big BIG Thank you to **Weasley-Detectives** for being my sounding board and helping me with names of places and some of the cultural aspects of the story! I appreciate all your help and support! You are the best mate!

 _A PSA regarding this chapter: Expect this to be kind of an info dump(ish) chapter. We are introduced to more characters (Brave based ones). As well as, some hinted backstories and a side character (the Head Master), who will be introduced in the next chapter or the 4_ _th_ _one…_

 _Also, apologize for the way the characters sound in this story…they don't really sound very modern even though the story is supposed to be set in Modern times. I've been recently obsessed with fiction set in Victorian and Edwardian England, plus early 1900's American culture and timelines, so I'm having a hard time breaking out of that! Also, I don't really speak very 'modern' myself…I never really have…it comes from being raised by parents and grandparents who were very old-fashioned themselves. (and older than most of my peer's parents and grandparents…)_

 _So, I apologize if the word usage is too proper or not slang enough sounding to the readers. I'll do my best to not be too pompous in the future. But I like the way a lot of the dialogue came out so, you'll just have to let me know in comments or reviews what you think._

 _Thank you and enjoy the next chapter of, "The Road Less Traveled"_

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 **Chapter 2: First Meetings, Second Greetings, & Third and Fourth Wheels.**

The score card flipped to 53.0 as time ran out. Merida sighed and took off her helmet, sending a glare towards the judges table. Granted, it wasn't the worst score she'd ever gotten, but she knew Angus deserved higher marks than that!

Trotting the large Shire to a waiting pen, she dismounted and stalked over to the entry booth. The two young women who had checked her in were still milling about the booth when she stepped up.

"Oi! What's the deal with these judges? My boy had excellent control, temper and speed! He should get a higher score than that." She groused, tossing her helmet on the table.

The smaller of the two women jumped back and stared up at her wide-eyed, while the other watched with a bored and somewhat annoyed expression.

"No sense in complainin' to us, Miss. We just take the fees and hand out numbers." The tall girl scoffed.

Merida sighed and leaned on the table. She ran a hand through her unruly red locks, pushing it back away from her face.

"Oh, aye. I know. I'm sorry, ladies. I'm just a wee bit tense today. Didnnae mean to come over and bite your heads off." Merida apologized.

The two other women exchanged a glance and the shorter girl offered Merida a small smile.

"It's alright. You seemed a little on edge when you showed up earlier."

Merida rolled her shoulder trying to release the tension in it.

"That's because I almost didnnae make it in time. Damn rig gave up the ghost on me…"

The taller girl raised a brow,

"Got here in time though, obviously."

Merida shrugged sheepishly,

"But just barely…if it hadnnae been for my guardian angel, I wouldnnae have made it all."

"Guardian angel?" the shorter girl looked confused.

Merida giggled.

"Or Knight in a silver pick-up truck, whichever you prefer."

The other two women looked at her incredulously. Finally, the taller one harrumphed, unamused.

"Fine, be vague if you want…" she turned her back to Merida and the other woman, busying herself with a lock-box and stack of papers.

"My name's Kenna, by the by," the shorter girl stuck out her hand for Merida to take, and motioned with her other thumb towards the other woman working with her,

"And that's my sister, Nessa."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Merida." Merida smiled, taking the girls hand.

"You new in the area? Or do you just follow these Events?" Kenna asked.

Merida laughed,

"No, I just moved to DunBroch a short bit ago. I guess you could say this is my first official outing since I moved here…I'm still getting settled. I was hired on as the new archery instructor at Stonewall Academy~, just a few days ago."  
Nessa turned to face them, a curious look in her eyes.

" **You're** going to work at the Academy? Truly?"

Merida's mouth thinned, not understanding the woman's questioning.

"Aye, it's true. As a matter of fact, I'm here today to see if I cannae impress the some of the board and convince them into letting me take on the Equestrian education classes, too."

Nessa hummed in approval before walking over.

"Color me impressed, Miss. Not a lot of woman work at the Academy. Sometimes it can be viewed as a glorified 'Boys Club'. Lot of times the board hires the more underqualified man just to keep up the 'prestigious' appearance of having so many male teachers…"

Merida cocked her head to the side,

"That seems a little misogynistic and old fashioned…but it cannae be that bad."

"Unfortunately, Miss Darroch, it has taken some of these older families longer to catch up to the 21st century."

A deep masculine voice caused the three women to turn and greet the newcomer. A large, smartly dressed, blonde and bearded man stepped up to the young women. He bowed his head in greeting before finishing his thought,

"And the young Douglas~ ladies here are right: we donnae have a lot of female staff at the Academy. I'm hoping to rectify that within the next few years, though."

Merida nodded to the man before her, unsure of what to say.

"Good Afternoon, Mr. MacGuffin." The sisters each greeted him with a nod. The man chuckled and shook his head.

"No need to be so formal, lassies. We're not at the Academy right now, after all. You can call me Kenneth, you know."

Merida watched the exchange, somewhat puzzled. Mr. MacGuffin turned to face her again. With his attention back on her, she gave him her own terse nod.

"Hello again, Sir. I was hoping you'd be here today." Merida greeted.

Kenneth MacGuffin grinned and clapped her shoulder lightly.

"To tell you the truth, Miss Darroch, I'm not really one for these Dressage events. Too much pomp and circumstance. Give me a good horse race, instead. I'd come see that any day!" MacGuffin laughed.

Merida smiled and cocked her head to the side as she watched him. There was something familiar about the man's demeanor and looks, but she wasn't exactly sure what it was…

Oh, well…she could figure it out later. Right now, she had other matters to deal with.

Picking up her helmet from the table, she gestured towards the area where Angus was standing, waiting patiently.

"While I'll agree to a good horserace any day, as well, I was hoping you'd had a chance to see what I can do with a few good pounds of horse flesh, Sir."

Kenneth MacGuffin set aside his humor and eyed the massive Shire appreciatively. The man nodded, remarking,

"Miss Darroch, when the Head Master informed us that you would be at today's event to try to plead your case for the Equestrian position, I literally had no idea you would be so well versed."

Merida felt her face flush at the high praise.

"Your level of control with a horse that size is remarkable! It's obvious to me, and that other members here today how talented you are."

Then his voice dropped low as he gave her a grin,

"We also didnnae know you owned such a magnificent stallion, Miss Darroch." Mr. MacGuffin gushed.

Merida felt the heat in her cheeks intensify.

She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by someone else calling out.

"Oi! I'll say! I'd be hard pressed to find a more perfect specimen for my stables."

Merida tensed as she watched the new man walk up. She recognized him from her interview earlier that week, but she wasn't sure of his name.

He was short. Shorter than her even, with lanky arms, but a stout middle and whitish blonde hair that stuck out in a very disheveled fashion. Merida eyed him cautiously as he approached and took her hand to shake it.

She glanced up at Mr. MacGuffin who was shaking his head and muttering to himself quietly.

"Good day, lass. A fine day for an event such as this, wouldnnae you say?"

Merida wanted to be polite. She may have impressed some of the board members, but she still didn't have the other position yet. Nor did she want to jeopardize her already short employment with the Academy, by doing something that could be construed as rude to one of her new bosses. So, she decided to make small talk with the short man.

"Aye. A fine day it is, I agree, Sir. I take it you were able to see Angus' free roam?"

The short man laughed heartily,

"Indeed, I did, lass! And I must say that the way that you handled that drafter is a great testament to your expertise and training."

Merida found herself smile at that remark, unable to stop the swell of pride in her chest.

"Aye, sir. It also helps that Angus was bred to have a very even temperament. He takes instruction and commands so well. I've never had a horse of finer quality."

The short man eyed the massive Shire, appraising his breeding.

"Just out of curiosity, lass. You wouldnnae be interested in selling the beast, would you?"

Merida bristled. She dropped the man's hand like it was a hot coal!

She wasn't about to let anyone buy Angus from her! Many had tried back home and they all had failed! No amount of money would or could entice her to sale her boy. She'd been there when he was foaled and began his training within a few weeks of his birth! She'd be damned if this bourgeois~1 tried to buy Angus away!

She opened her mouth to give the man what-fore but was interrupted yet again,

"Stay your wallet and your mouth, Dingwall! Miss Darroch isnnae in the market to sell. Even if she was, I doubt she'd sell to those backwater stables you're so proud of."

Mr. MacGuffin answered the other man quickly, before Merida could say her piece. She looked up at the older man in gratitude. He gave her a lopsided grin, that looked all too familiar, and winked at her in understanding.

Dingwall huffed, insulted.

"Well, maybe not today, but the lass cannae be worrying about such a massive horse and all those expenses come the hard weather, eh? Surely, you'll have to at least _think_ about selling him then, right, lass?"

Merida's brow furrowed. She hadn't really considered that…

She opened her mouth once again to protest the diminutive man, but she was interrupted for a third time! This time an announcement sounded over the loud-speakers.

" **Attention! Contestant 38 please be mounted and ready at the full course start in 10 minutes! Again, Contestant 38 to the course start in 10!"**

'Saved by the 'bell,' she thought, relieved.

"Please excuse me, gentlemen. I have to get Angus set and ready for the course." She excused herself and headed into the pen, helmet in hand.

After the young woman left them, Kenneth MacGuffin turned to Murdoch Dingwall shaking his head. Reaching up, he whacked the shorter man on the back of his skull, huffing in frustration.

"Really Murdoch, you have no sense about you when it comes to horses. Less so when you see one, you want to have…"

Kenneth pointed to young woman and the Shire horse heading away from them.

"That young lady would probably sooner starve and freeze herself than give up that Shire. You cannae just wave your money around and expect people to jump to your attention."

Murdoch growled up at his old friend.

"Everyone has a price Kenny-boy. Everyone."

Kenneth shook his head.

"Not everyone is driven solely by money, Mur."

"Maybe not, but everyone has some kind of price. Even if it isnnae money."

Kenneth didn't feel like arguing with his friend anymore.

"Come on, Mur. Miss Darroch will be expecting us to say something about her performance on the course, I'm sure. We'd better get over there."

Murdoch looked at Kenneth, confused.

"You mean you didnnae tell her she has the position already?"

Kenneth shook his head,

"No, not yet. I was going to before you walked over here and tried to buy her horse out from under her."

Murdoch grumbled an apology as they walked away towards the course.

"Sorry…"

 **-|}** **-[(+)]-** **{|-**

The guardian angel, known simply as Shae, drove his truck back into the contestants parking area and located Merida's horse-trailer. He pulled to a stop in front of the trailer and set the truck in position to hitch it back up once the competition was done for the day.

Parking the truck, Shae got out and stretched his legs.

"BARK BARK!" Dodger voiced his presence.

Shae reached up and ruffled the mutt's head fur.

"I think you should stay here boy. These horses might spook with you around and I donnae want Miss Darroch to get in trouble because of us."

Dodger huffed, sneezing indignantly at his master.

Shae laughed.

"Here, I'll put you in the bed. Fresh air, new smells, and you can bark at whatever you want without scaring the horses up at the fields."

Dodger still looked annoyed but allowed Shae to tie him up in the bed of the pick-up.

Dodger whined as Shae started to walk away.

"Oh, come on, Dodge! Donnae be like that! You come with me everywhere. It isnnae going to kill you to wait for me to get back in an hour or so…"

As Shae walked away, he heard Dodger sneeze again and he swore the dog was griping at him.

Shae made his way up the hill and towards the competition fields. As he neared one of the penning area's, he heard a voice echo over the loud-speakers.

" **Attention! Contestant 38 please be mounted and ready at the full course start in 10 minutes! Again, Contestant 38 to the course start in 10!"**

After a few moments a large mass of black and white trotted past him, nearly bowling him over.

"Hey! Watch it! You donnae own the lane, you twit!" he called out to the horse and rider, not realizing who it was.

The rider stopped the horse and turned. Finally, Shae recognized the blaze and socks on the large Shire and he winced. He looked up at the rider and stood frozen by the beautiful aquamarine colored eyes he'd been mesmerized by earlier. She had an apologetic look on her face.

She flushed red and held his gaze.

"Oh, Shae! I'm so sorry! I wasnnae trying to run you over. I was in a hurry to get to the course. Angus and I are up next."

Shae rubbed at the back of his neck, embarrassed. He walked up and rubbed Angus's nose, gently.

"I didnnae realize it was you, Miss Merida. Please, go on! And good luck!"

Merida blushed and nodded,

"Thank you! We'll do our best."

She turned Angus and headed away towards the course field.

Shae watched her ride away with a soft grin on his face.

Someone called to him and he jumped!

"Shae? What brings you out here, laddie?"

Shae tensed at the voice that called to him. Knowing fully well who it was, he put on his friendliest smile and turned to greet the man.

"Good Afternoon, Mr. Dingwall. Nice day for a…" Shae paused when he also saw Mr. MacGuffin standing beside the short man.

"…er…oh…Hello, Sir. You're here too, today?" Shae's voice stumbled, seeing the two men staring back at him.

Kenneth MacGuffin nodded and put his hands behind his back, standing at attention.

"Aye. I told the Head Master I'd be here to keep an eye on our newest instructor. He said she was interested in the Equestrian educator's position too, so a few of the board have decided to watch her progress during the day."

Dingwall scoffed,

"Not that it matters. We've already decided to offer her the position. Your da' was just too slow in letting the lassie know."

Shae's gaze flashed to the taller man's and he saw his father roll his eyes. Kenneth's annoyed demeanor changed back to curiosity as he eyed his son.

"I am a little curious myself as to why you're here, son. You've never been one for these kinds of events before. Why are you here, today?"

Shae pursed his lips and gave a shrug.

"Oh, just out for a drive today and saw the signs advertising this event and thought it would be interesting…"

Kenneth eyed his son, disbelievingly, but Murdoch simply nodded. He patted his round paunch, like he did whenever coming to a decision. He turned to Kenneth,

"Well, Kenny-boy, I donnae know about you, but I want to see what this Miss Darroch can do in the jumpers. She should be just starting and I donnae want to miss it. Are you coming?"

Kenneth nodded and motioned towards the course field.

"You head on over, I'll be right behind, Mur."

Murdoch nodded and bid farewell to the younger MacGuffin before hurrying away with a pompous waddle.

Shae shook his head as he watched the older man leave. He sighed and turned back to his father.

"I donnae know why you put up with him da'. That man's pockets are lined with lies and deceit."

Kenneth admonished his son,

"Easy now, Shae. Murdoch Dingwall may be an exasperating man, but he earned his fortune just like our family did. Hard work and perseverance."

"And the occasional back alley bartering…"

"Shae…"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, da'. I'll stop. Besides, Colin would never forgive me for saying such things about his family."

Kenneth MacGuffin stifled a laugh,

"For some reason, I picture Colin being the instigator of many of those rumors. His dislike of his father is very well known among the circles, so I wouldnnae put it past him."

Shae offered his own smile, but didn't confirm or deny his father's suspicions.

Kenneth looked at Shae with a raised brow.

"Look Shae, I know that line you handed to us earlier was a lie. You would never come to something like this on your own. Hell, I wouldnnae be here if I hadnnae made that promise to Ambrose2~. So, what _are_ you here for?"

Shae didn't like being scrutinized. It made his nervous. He rubbed the back of his head, knowing he couldn't lie to his father. But, Shae wasn't one to give himself away so easily.

"Well, da'…I guess you could say, I met someone. Recently," Shae clarified with a smile and continued,

"and coming here meant a lot to them, so I decided to come and see what all the fuss was about…"  
Kenneth's eyes narrowed as he stared at his oldest son. Suddenly, a large grin broke out over his features and he clapped the boys' back in a hearty pat. Shae wheezed, the air rushing out of his lungs at the impact.

"That's great son! Glad to here it! I know you've been down since the accident. So, I'm glad to see you back out there, as it were."

Shae offered his signature lopsided grin and a shrug.

"Well, I donnae know if I'd say that, exactly…besides, it was more of a chance meeting than anything…" Shae recanted.

His mind wandered to the circumstances that led to his presence at the competition today, and his grin widened.

Seeing a far-away look in his son's eyes, Kenneth smirked,

"Some good things **can** happen by chance, you know." he said with a wink.

Shae rolled his eyes at the good-natured teasing.

He walked with his father up to the area where they had the jumping course set. Looking out over the course, he saw Merida and Angus set up for a jump.

He'd missed her earlier free run but wanted to see what kind of horsemanship she possessed. She'd said she was one of the best, and now he could see for himself.

Coming to the course barrier, Shae leaned his arms over the fence, watching intently as Merida and Angus moved through each obstacle. He watched the horse and rider in awe, both at her control and Angus's power! She held his full attention, and Shae was sure he must have had a silly dumbstruck look on his face. It had been a long time since he'd felt the familiar pull of a schoolyard crush, but that's exactly what it felt like to him…

Looking over, Kenneth raised a brow at Shae, seeing the grin on his son's face. Following his gaze out to the young woman and Shire running the course, the cogs in his mind churned to life. Somehow, Shae had made the new instructors acquaintance already…

Looking back and forth between the young woman and his son, Kenneth felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards.

'This could get interesting…'

"Are you acquainted with Miss Darroch, Shae? I was under the impression she didnnae know anyone in DunBroch yet." Kenneth asked his son, quietly.

No one could hear them, but Shae knew his father's penchant for being theatrical, so he played along, also speaking quietly.

"I just met her this afternoon, da'. You asked why I'm here," Shae paused and motioned towards the woman and Shire finishing off their run.

"I saw her stranded on the side of the road, and being the gentleman, you taught me to be, I offered her my assistance in the matter."

Kenneth shook his head,

"Always a sucker for a damsel in distress, eh?"

Shae shrugged, and his dad clapped his shoulder again.

"At least, you come by it honestly, haha!"

Shae shook his head at his dad and turned his attention back to Merida and Angus.

"Does she know who you are?"

The question irked him for some reason and he turned to his dad with a frown.

"I didnnae tell her my last name, if that's what you're asking. She knows that I'm a mechanic, my name is Shae, and, as you said, I have a soft spot for damsel's in distress."

Kenneth's frown mirrored Shae's.

"I didnnae mean to upset you, lad. I just know that you donnae like to rely on your family name. Too damn independent…"

"Just like you raised me to be." Shae quipped.

"Touché." Kenneth chuckled.

Shae shook his head and eyed his father with a raised brow.

"Even if I donnae _**tell**_ her my last name, she'll figure out you're my da', regardless."

"And why do you say that?"

Shae looked at his father incredulously,

"Because she isnnae dotty~ [crazy/daft]3, da'! I look too much like you, **NOT** to be your son. She'd figure it out on her own…" Shae huffed, becoming exasperated with his father.

Kenneth started to say something else to Shae, but stopped when a large shadow loomed over the two men.

Shae looked up and grinned at the rider greeting them.

"Shae, you watched the run?" Merida asked, a wide smile on her lips.

He nodded, completely ignoring the knowing look on his father's face.

"You really are amazing, Miss Darroch. I told you, you would be wonderful…"

She giggled, and Kenneth scoffed while rolling his eyes. Shae coughed and tried to fix his verbal slip,

"I mean, I told you, you and Angus would do great out there!" he blushed, rubbing at the back of his neck.

Merida laughed and patted Angus on the neck, encouragingly,

"Well, we tried. It doesnnae look like we succeeded today, though. Angus knocked a bar and landed short a few times in the water obstacles. No prize for my boy today."

Shae made a face as Merida dismounted and led Angus off the course. She walked up next to them and shrugged,

"Some days are better than others for us." Merida said, motioning to the large stallion and herself.

Shae opened his mouth, but Kenneth jumped in, interrupting his smitten son.

"Donnae count it down yet, Miss Darroch. We still havennae discussed the other instructor's position."

Merida's attention quickly turned to look at Mr. MacGuffin. A spark passed over her features as her eyes drifted back and forth between the two men. Realization dawned on her as her gaze settled back on Shae and she smiled at him coyly.

"Shae…MacGuffin." She eyed him teasingly.

Shae shrugged sheepishly, his secret revealed. She shook her head and looked between the two MacGuffin men.

"Why didnnae you want to tell me your full name, earlier?" she asked, confused.

Shae shrugged one shoulder, not giving an answer and Kenneth sighed at his son's sudden muteness. He decided to intervene.

"You'll have to forgive, Shae, Miss Darroch. Our name carries quite a bit of notoriety, weight, and respect in this area. Shae is given more towards anonymity, so he usually keeps his family name quiet."

Merida cocked a brow at the two men,

"But if your family is so well known in DunBroch, what's the point in trying to be mysterious? Doesnnae everyone already **know** who you are?"

Shae cleared his throat.

"It helps me keep undesirables from getting too friendly with my family just to suit their own needs."

"Undesirables?" she scoffed and raised a brow. He simply shrugged again.

Shaking her head, she gave him an amused look,

"Even so, you go through the mystery simply for newcomers and tourists?"

Shae shrugged a fourth time, not really having a good answer. Merida laughed.

"Well, the driving factor to protect your family is noble and admirable, I must admit, Mr. Shae MacGuffin." She said with a smile and touched his forearm gently.

Kenneth saw the flush on Shae's cheeks and coughed into his fist.

"Money, Miss Darroch. Money grabbers, to be more specific. **That** is the reason Shae has taken it upon himself to remain isolated from the family and to remove his person from our associations."

Shae gave his father a hard look.

"You know that isnnae true, da'!"

Kenneth chuckled,

"No…but partially."

Shae rolled his eyes. Merida sensed that there was more to the story, but she was eager to hear what the elder MacGuffin wanted to discuss with her. She turned to the man, tilting her head in question,

"Mr. MacGuffin, you said something about the other position? I'm know I didnnae do all that well today, but I promise you, Sir, I'm one of the best in Equine Studies around. The Academy couldnnae to better, I'm sure."

Kenneth grinned at her and nodded,

"I completely agree, Miss Darroch. I donnae think the rest of the board would hold it against you that you didnnae take home the win today. We simply wanted to be able to judge your ability, and you showed us your make during the open free session. Those of us present today have decided to offer you the position as the Equestrian educator as well as the one you had been previously hired for."

Merida's face beamed! Shae could vaguely see the beginnings of tear drops in the corners of her eyes. But he knew those were for happiness, not for sadness or frustration. He found his own smile forming on his lips.

Merida reached out and took Kenneth's hand tightly, shaking it strong and fierce.

"Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, Mr. MacGuffin! The board wonnae be disappointed in me, I assure you."

Kenneth laughed at the young woman's enthusiasm.

"No need to thank me, Miss Darroch. It was the headmaster's doing really. He wanted to give you the position on Thursday, after our meeting, but he couldnnae without a consensus from a majority of the board. He seems to put a lot of faith in you and your abilities, already."

Merida looked at Shae and his father, perplexed.

"Why?"

"Perhaps you've put a charm on 'im and the rest of the board, Miss. A fair assumption, I might say, given the fact you seem to have already won the attention of our own bluenosed4[prudish/proper/genteel]~ Shae MacGuffin."

A young man's voice sounded from behind Shae, and the small group turned to greet the newcomer. Shae scowled at the young man, but it was all for show. The man was his bestfriend, but a bit of a pain in the ass.

Colin Dingwall made his way over to the group and nodded a formal hello to everyone before taking Merida's hand and giving a quick kiss to the back of it. Merida yanked her hand back and gave him a disgusted look.

"Oi! Excuse you! What's the big idea? You stuck in the 1900's or something?"

Colin grinned and gave a theatrical bow,

"I always find it helps to be gentlemanly if you act like an old fashioned one."

Merida's face scrunched even more, and she tightened her grip on Angus' reins.

"You try that again, ya dandy5~, and you're going find yourself on the wrong side of me bow."

Dead silence followed.

All the men paused and looked at the woman in their company. Shae covered his smile and had to force his laugh down as he watched the stunned looks on his father and Colin's faces. He'd witnessed her temper already, so he knew she could be a spit-fire, but it was funny seeing how others would react to her fiery disposition.

After a few moments of quiet, Shae snorted and laughed, not able to hold it in any longer. Kenneth soon joined his son and Colin followed right after. He looked at Merida with a wide, charming grin.

"Oh, you're going to be fun working with, miss!"

Merida looked a cross between confused and angered.

"What?! What are you on about."

Colin's grin never wavered,

"I teach at Stonewall Academy too, miss. We'll be neighbors, as it were."

She scoffed,

"Not bloody likely…"

This sent Colin into a new bout of laughter. Shae shook his head and shoved the smaller man's shoulder. Kenneth MacGuffin also shook his head and composed himself before admonishing the younger man.

"Alright, you had your fun, Colin. Leave Miss Darroch alone, now. She's new and we donnae want to do or say anything that might offend her into leaving so soon."

Colin had the audacity to look offended,

"'Gasp' How could you think such a thing, Mr. MacGuffin? I'm never offensive."

Shae rolled his eyes,

"I think you mean, you're **always** offensive…"

Merida giggled trying to hide her smile in her hand. Colin's mouth fell open in mock appall.

Before Colin could give a retort, Shae took Angus' reins from Merida with one hand. He subconsciously took her hand in his other one and nodded to his father and friend.

"Anyway, this has been fun and amusing, but if you two donnae mind, I'm sure Miss Darroch would like to get back home. She's had a long, trying day getting here and competing. So, we'll just be on our way…"

He missed the blush on Merida's cheeks, but the other men didn't.

"On _**your**_ way?" Colin eyed with a playful smirk.

Shae's eyes narrowed at the shorter man,

"Aye, on ' _ **Our'**_ way. Seeing as I'm her lift, I'll help load up her tack and Angus, then I'll be going too."

Kenneth glanced down at their joined hands and grinned. He cast a knowing look towards Colin who also grinned. Shae's brow furrowed at them.

"Donnae be smug. I'm just being helpful and neighborly."

They kept grinning and Shae rolled his eyes.

He turned to Merida,

"Are you ready to head out now, Miss Merida? Or is there something else to finish here?"

His concerned emerald eyes bore into hers and she blushed. She'd only met this man this afternoon and already she could feel a giddiness in her whenever he was around her…

Maybe there was something too those old fashioned gentlemanly attributes.

Well that, **and** he was still holding her hand, _**and**_ had used her first name instead of her last name when he addressed her just now.

She found her voice and shook her head,

"Um…no. I think I'm free to go now. Our scores didnnae qualify Angus and I for a further round, so we should be good."

Colin clapped his hands together, loudly, the sound breaking the gaze between Shae and Merida.

"Well, since Shae is in such a hurry to get you out of here and all too himself, I guess I'll say good afternoon to you, Miss Darroch. I'll see you in a few days at the staff meeting." Colin shot his friend a knowing grin and nodded his own goodbye.

Shae's face flushed as Colin walked away. He glanced over at Merida and saw a light blush on her cheeks, as well. His father coughed, getting his attention.

"I think I'll be off, too. I've done my duty for today and I'm ready to be home."

He smiled at Merida and gave a bow of his head,

"Miss Darroch, my younger boys will certainly be looking forward to your classes, the most, I'm sure. I cannae wait to see what you can do for our Academy."

Merida smiled back in return,

"You wonnae be disappointed in me, I promise, Sir."

Kenneth made a face,

"Ugh! You can stop calling me 'Sir', lass. Makes me feel old. Kenneth is just fine."

Merida started to protest, but saw Shae shake his head. She clamped her mouth shut and nodded,

"As you wish, Mr. Kenneth."

Shae chortled. His father glared at him,

"Close enough, I suppose."

He clapped his son's shoulder, hard, forcing Shae's humor away. Shae winced at the force and coughed.

"See you later, son. Be safe."

Shae pursed his lips and nodded tersely to his father.

"Aye, aye Sir."

Still holding Merida's hand in one of his and Angus' reins in the other, Shae started back down towards the parking area, Merida and Angus in tow.

A little ways down and next to the entry booth, Shae heard his father yell.

"Shae, be careful! Donnae do anything I wouldnnae do!"

Shae winced, his face flaming up in embarrassment. A teasing smirk appeared on Merida's face and she eyed him, curiously. Groaning, he rolled his eyes and he hurried the three of them back to his rig and her trailer.

"Interesting people here in DunBroch." Merida commented with a sarcastic tone.

Shae scoffed, still blushing profusely.

"Yeah. Not a single one of them know how to hold their tongues or understand decency…"

 **-|}** **-[(+)]-** **{|-**

"Interesting…" Colin remarked, watching Shae take off with the newest town resident in hand.

Speaking of hands…

His eyes dropped and saw that Shae was indeed still grasping Miss Darroch's hand firmly in his. Colin grinned wickedly.

"Very interesting indeed…"

A female voice behind him caught his attention and he looked over his shoulder at the two women in the booth behind him.

"Wasn't that that new girl? The one who was ranting a bit ago about the unfairness of the scores…" the tall girl asked.

She paused sorting the paperwork into a document box to look at the other girl. The shorter one nodded.

"Her name is Merida, and I do believe you are right, Nessa."

Nessa hummed and raised a brow, her eyes following the pair and horse as they made their way down the hillside.

"Interesting…"

She saw their intertwined hands and her brow raised higher,

"Wonder if she has a side angle?"

Kenna scoffed and threw down the notebook roughly.

"Oh, Nessa, donnae be such a pessimist! Not everyone has a hidden agenda. She's new! And everyone in town knows how Shae is! He's just being friendly!"  
"And that means what? They just met and already holding hands? She might be a gold-digger…"

Kenna looked at her sister incredulously,

"You're suspicious because he took her hand? What is this, 1895?!"

Nessa crossed her arms,

"Shae MacGuffin is a generous and thoughtful man. No one would deny that, Kenna. But when was the last time he ever showed any interest in a female?"

Kenna rolled her eyes and shrugged nonchalantly,

"Maybe he's bi, and has had boyfriends instead…"

Nessa's nose crinkled,

"Be serious!"

"I am!" Kenna argued, sincerely. Calmy, she stood up and walked over to her sister, shaking her head.

"Nessa, you're being ridiculous over nothing! Besides, it isnnae like you like Shae, that way"

She sobered and looked at her sister worriedly. She placed a hand on her sister's arm.

"Or do you?"

Nessa rolled her eyes and yanked her arm away,

"Donnae be daft! Shae is a nice man." She paused and pursed her lips,

"But he hasnnae been the same since the accident…"

Kenna agreed with a nod,

"Aye, and this Miss Darroch has no knowledge of said accident. Maybe he's glad for a new face in town…"

"A new face that could swindle his family, I'd say…" Nessa muttered.

Kenna looked at her, baffled.

"You had such high praise for her earlier! Suddenly she walks by, Shae in tow and you lose your damn mind?! You should be committed…"

Nessa huffed and rolled her eyes,

"Okay, so I was impressed she'd gotten the position at the Academy so quickly. Maybe, she got said position by stroking the son of a board member…"  
"NESSA?!" Kenna gasped, scandalized.

"You really donnae have a high opinion of new people do you, Miss Nessa?" Colin intervened, a roguish grin on his face.

Both women turned to him with a start. Nessa felt the color drain from her face.

"How long were you skulking about, and eavesdropping there, Dingwall?" she snapped.

Colin's grin widened, as he sauntered up to Nessa.

"Oh, long enough, my lovely lady."

Kenna smirked at him,

"What do you say, Mr. Dingwall? Did you talk to her? Does she seem like the type to gold-dig?"

Colin grinned back at Kenna and shook his head.

"I donnae think so, Miss Kenna. Granted, I didnnae get to talk to her very long, but she's about as affected by my charms and wit as your lovely sister, Nessa."

Kenna laughed, and Nessa scoffed,

"She threaten to report you to the board for harassment, too, then?" Kenna asked with a smile.

Colin shook his head,

"No, she threatened to shoot me with her bow." He stated matter-of-factly.

Nessa and Kenna paused and waited for a joke or punchline. When Colin didn't deliver one, they looked at each other, stunned. After a few minutes, Nessa spoke, a smile forming over her lips.

"I take back everything I said. I like her, already!"

Kenna laughed at the annoyed look on Colin's face.

"Of course, you would, Miss Nessa…" he groused playfully.

"So, you donnae think she's here to abscond with the MacGuffin inheritance, then?" Kenna asked.

Colin huffed.

"If she absconds with anything related to the MacGuffin family, I'd say it'll be a new last name…" Colin smirked.

"…and the next generation of the family line…" he muttered with grin.

Kenna looked shocked but still held her smile. Nessa, on the other hand, simply rolled her eyes.

"You cannae possibly know that?! She just got to town, and they just met! You cannae just plan out your best friend's life like it's a fairy-tale!"

Kenna paused and looked at Nessa, realization dawning on her!

"Shae's the guardian angel!"

Nessa and Colin looked at the younger girl in concern,

"Pardon? Are you ill, Miss Kenna?" Colin asked.

She rolled her eyes,

"No, I'm not sick! Remember, Nessa?! Earlier when Miss Darroch was talking to us… She said she wouldnnae have made it here today if it hadnnae been for her guardian angel. Shae must be the 'angel' she was talking about!"

"Ah! That makes sense…" Colin said.

"It does?" Nessa's brow raised.

Colin nodded,

"Kindness goes a long way in winning a woman's devotion."

Nessa scoffed,

"Too bad, you've never learned that…"

Colin pouted,

"I'm a very kind person!"

Nessa shook her head and turned away to gather the rest of the stuff. Kenna laughed at Colin's pouted lips.

"Yeah…keep telling yourself that, Dingwall…" Nessa muttered.

 **-|}** **-[(+)]-** **{|-**

Shae wiped his brow as he finished hitching Angus' trailer to his rig. He turned to Merida with a smile.

"All done! We can head back now, if you like."

Merida smiled at him and nodded. She untied Dodger from the bed, and leash led him to the cab. She opened the door and they both hopped inside. Once inside, Dodger happily barked, gave her a few welcoming licks, wagged his tail and layed down in the middle of the bench, resting his head on her lap.

Shae climbed in on the driver side and turned to look at his dog, questioningly,

"What? I donnae get a hello, too?"

Dodger huffed and sneezed at him.

Merida laughed.

"I donnae think he liked you leaving him alone."

Shae pursed his lips,

"It was a precaution…I didnnae want him spooking the horses up at the fields…"

Merida's laugh echoed.

"I doubt Dodger here could have spooked any of those mounts. Most have a specific temperament to be good at the dressage events. Big crowds, lots of noise…a horse that spooks too easily makes a bad showman."

Shae rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.

"Didnnae want him runnin' off or doin' somthing that could get you into trouble…" Shae confessed, a blush dusting his cheeks.

Merida's smile softened.

"Well, that was thoughtful of you, Shae. Thank you."

Shae shrugged and grinned at her sheepishly.

Just then, Dodger huffed again, and Merida looked down, chuckling at the dog in her lap.

"I donnae think Dodge is ready to forgive you yet, though."

Shae reached over and ruffled the mutt's head fur.

"He'll forgive me, eventually."

Dodger made a grumbling noise in his throat that sounded like a 'Not likely' answer to Shae's statement. Shae sighed in defeat and turned back in his seat to face the steering wheel.

Merida giggled again as Shae moved to start up the truck. He reached over and looked down at the stick-shift. Just then, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and turned his head.

Innocently, turning right into a kiss from Merida!

Too stunned to move, he simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of her lips against his.

Once she realized what was happening, Merida flushed and pulled back quickly, putting as much distance between herself and Shae as she could. Her heart raced inside her chest and her face heated times ten!

She hadn't meant to kiss him on his lips! She'd been aiming for his cheek, the damnable man! Of course, he'd turned at wrong moment and now she was face to face with a very real, very looming, problem!

She worried her bottom lip and watched his reaction with wide eyes. He slowly opened his eyes, and looked at her, a blank expression on his face. His lips were still parted slightly from being caught off guard and he looked at her, thoroughly confused.

Merida looked at him, mortified. She wet her lips as she offered an apology.

"I am _**SO**_ sorry, Shae! I...I never meant for that to happen!"

She started to fidget in her seat,

"That is to say…I…I wasnnae trying to…I mean…I didnnae mean to…to kiss you…"

His dumbstruck look never faltered. Merida bit her lip,

"Well…actually, I was trying to give you a kiss…"

She saw his eyes widen slightly, and she back-tracked,

"But, not like that!" she exclaimed.

She paused when his brow furrowed, and she explained,

"I mean, I was trying to give you a kiss on the cheek…"

He still said nothing, so she elaborated more,

"You know, like I did earlier. As a Thank you?"

She then winced, worrying her lip even more.

"I didnnae know you were going to turn around…"

"Poor timing, I guess…" she added with a shrug, her blush darkening.

'More like, perfect timing!' her brain screamed, but she willed that thought away. The flirting and teasing were one thing, but a kiss was something else entirely! Even if it was an accident, she'd known this man for less than 8 hours! And she would not allow herself to entertain any further thoughts on the matter…

Still biting at her lip, she watched and waited for a response.

After a few long moments, Shae's mind finally started to work again, as well as his lungs! He blinked stupidly a few times before sitting up straight in his seat. He opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what to say…

He hadn't taken his eyes off the young woman beside him, since he'd opened them after her kiss. Though, he wasn't sure if it could even be called that…

…it had been so light and quick! Did it even qualify?

Her lips hadn't even fully connected with his own…so was it even a real kiss?

Regardless, it had been enough to leave him stupefied!

It **had** been _too long_ if he became dumbfounded from such a simple act!

Finally, he found his voice, though, when he looked back on this moment, he'd wished he hadn't.

Foregoing normal thought and reason, Shae allowed his mouth the say the first thing that his brain could rightly process.

"Wow…"

The word came out soft, sincere and quiet…

'And breathless.' Merida thought, not bothering to hide her blush. She couldn't remember a time in her whole life when she'd left a man speechless…or breathless, for that matter.

Well, not from a simple, half-assed kiss anyway.

She felt an odd sense of pride in herself at his reaction and she allowed a smirk to form on her lips. Sitting back in her seat she bowed her head, looking away from his emerald gaze. She was becoming very self-conscious under his scrutiny.

Dodger whined, and her attention snapped to the white and tan dog currently laying across her lap. He looked up at her, his head tilted to the side quizzically.

Merida smiled and rubbed behind the dog's ears.

After a minute or two, she realized Shae hadn't moved the truck, yet. Covering a growing smile with her hand, rolled her eyes and turned in her seat, facing him again.

"Shae MacGuffin, you have to be the most sheltered man I know, if a simple little kiss could knock you for a loop like that." She teased with a smirk.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Shae grinned back.

"That wasnnae a proper kiss…" he said in a low voice.

He'd made up his mind on the matter as he'd watched her pet his dog, and try to avoid his gaze.

Merida flushed and eyed him with a quirked brow. Her smile widened.

"Maybe so, but as it was an accidental one! Besides, I hardly know you, so donnae be getting any idea's in your head that you're going to show me what a real and proper kiss is."

'Damn!' Shae's thoughts betrayed him.

"I wasnnae planning on that, Miss Darroch." He answered with a smile.

'Yet…' his thoughts corrected.

She continued her rant.

"I can flirt and tease with the best of them, Mr. MacGuffin, but I want you to know right now, I am _ **NOT**_ 'easy'."

Shae snorted, finding himself at a complete loss! This woman continued to intrigue him the more time he spent with her. He could see himself becoming very good friends with Miss Merida Darroch, should she stay in DunBroch long enough.

Shae sat back in his seat and stared at her few more seconds before he nodded, his smiled wide and honest.

"I believe you, Miss Darroch. And I wasnnae trying to insinuate that at all. As a matter of fact, I like to consider myself an old-fashioned type gentleman. And as such, it would be very improper of me to even _think_ of you that way!"

Merida's gaze softened, and Shae was taken aback by it. The fire was still there, behind her eyes, but something else decidedly feminine shone through. She reached out and took his hand, gently.

"You **are** a gentleman, Mr. MacGuffin. I donnae believe I've ever met anyone as kind as you before."

Looking down at their joined hands, Shae shrugged, feeling his face heat. He could sit here for hours and just be next to her, if he could, but seeing the time on the dashboard, he remembered he should get them all home.

She'd need a lift to where ever she was staying, and he didn't know if she had a place that she was boarding Angus. But supposing she did, she'd need help getting the horse and trailer there, since he hadn't had a chance to even look at her rig yet. He rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling suddenly claustrophobic. Clearing his throat, he grinned at her.

"Well, I do believe I've wasted enough time zoned out for one day, Miss Merida…Let's get you and Angus home, now."

Not waiting for a response, he took back his hand from her grasp and turned to face the steering wheel again. He started up the truck and the engine roared to life.

Feeling the rumbling of the truck under him, Dodger sat up and wagged his tail. He moved between his master and their new friend, looking out the window.

"Looks like Dodger's ready to go." Merida said with a smile.

"BARK BARK BARK!" sounded the excited pup.

Shae scratched at the dog's ears and Dodger leaned into him, happy. Shae's gaze caught Merida's over the top of Dodger's head and he grinned at her.

She offered him a soft smile in return.

"Looks like he's forgiven you now."

"Aye it does…" Shae answered her and then looked at his dog,

"Come on boy! Let's head home!" Shae laughed.

"BARK!" Dodger agreed.

And with that, the entourage started back to DunBroch. Two of the occupants contemplated the near future and what could possibly lie instore for them. The other two? They simply wanted to know when dinner-time was!

]

 **-|}** **-[(+)]-** **{|-**

Chapter 2 is done! Yay!

I hope you enjoyed this one. It was a lot longer and I wanted to introduce more of the players in the story…and I'm still not done with them all! HAHAHA!

FYI, there will be conflict and drama a little bit later, but I'm trying to establish the world and characters first. Hopefully you all stick around for the upcoming installments and I hope to have Chapter 18 of "Ties" finished hopefully by the end of this month…but no promises…

Thank you for your patience and patronage!

Chapter Notes: (in order of appearance in chapter)

 **Stonewall Academy ~:** Thank you to Weasley-Detectives for the help in choosing a name for the school! I wasn't sure what to call it besides "the Academy" but I thought that would get boring. Weasley suggested a few different ideas that were names that gave a call back to Brave, but I really liked Stonewall the best! So, I went with that suggestion 😊 Thank you again, mate for all your help!

 **Douglas ladies (i.e. Kenna and Nessa) ~:** When I started working on the idea for this story, I knew eventually I would have to come up with last names or decide what last names to use for characters that didn't have them already. Kenna and Nessa, are essentially OC's in the sense that I gave them their names and personalities, but they are actual characters in Brave. (They are the two young women who are always watching after Maudie).

I knew they would and should have Scottish last names and as I was trying to decide what sounded good with Nessa and Kenna the name Douglas stood out for some reason. So, in keeping with the tradition of the story I decided to name them Nessa and Kenna Douglas.

Douglas is a common surname of Scottish origin, thought to derive from the Gaelic dubh glas, meaning "black stream".

 **Bourgeois ~:** (noun)a bourgeois person: (adjective) of or characteristic of the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes.

 **Ambrose ~:** from the Latin name Ambrosius meaning 'immortal'. No further notes right now on Ambrose, as his identity is kind of a secret until a later chapter.

 **Dotty~:** adjective meaning 'crazy'. Also, can mean, 'absurd', 'daft' or 'ditzy'

 **Bluenosed ~:** adjective- means _'marked by excessive concern for propriety and good form: 'genteel'_. Can also mean _'prudish', 'straitlaced_ ', or _'proper'_ in some context.

 **dandy ~:** A man who takes great care with his clothing and general appearance, especially one who is nonchalant in demeanor and (historically) tries to develop aristocratic hobbies, language, and honorable ideals. Also, a fop

A flamboyant or effeminate male, regardless of sexual orientation.

I'm so excited for this year!

Peace and Blessings Upon You

GAM3RG1RL13

1 Bourgeois – (noun)a bourgeois person: (adjective) of or characteristic of the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes.

2 Ambrose: from the Latin name Ambrosius meaning _'immortal'_

3 Dotty: adjective meaning _'crazy_ '. Also, can mean, ' _absurd'_ , ' _daft'_ or _'ditzy_ '

4 Bluenosed: adjective- means _'marked by excessive concern for propriety and good form: 'genteel'_. Can also mean _'prudish', 'straitlaced_ ', or _'proper'_ in some context.

5 Dandy: A man who takes great care with his clothing and general appearance, especially one who is nonchalant in demeanor and (historically) tries to develop aristocratic hobbies, language, and honorable ideals. Also, a fop A flamboyant or effeminate male, regardless of sexual orientation.


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